The Senate has mandated its Committee on NGOs and Diaspora to liaise with the National Planning Commission (NPC) to monitor the development and implementation of a policy framework that improves aid effectiveness. This followed its passage of a resolution at its plenary session on Wednesday, 25th September 2019, agreeing to monitor the effectiveness of aid grants by development agencies in Nigeria.
Presenting the motion titled “The need to make development aids effective to work for Nigerians” its sponsor; Sen. Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC: Kwara) expressed concern over the inability of the National Planning Commission (NPC) to perform its role of ensuring that aid from donor agencies align with national policies and priorities. He stated that the absence of an adequate legal framework for the management of aid had promoted inefficiencies as well as the weak capacity of institutions leading to poor project delivery and outcomes.
Sen. Oloriegbe’s submission also emphasized that the actual benefits to the country from donor aids stood at about 40-45% with the rest being lost to transaction costs, capital flights back to donor countries through implementing contractors and other wastages. He also noted that the several attempts to coordinate donor agencies had been ineffective due to the inadequate capacity of the public sector, divergent donor procedures and the absence of an acceptable framework.
Lastly, Sen. Oloriegbe called for an urgent review of the national development plan and policies for the purpose of aid harmonization, implementation and monitoring to enhance aid effectiveness by donor agencies in Nigeria.
His motion was co-sponsored by 52 other lawmakers.
